A shoulder to cry on

By Benjamen Judd

Justin Shoulder is one of Sydney’s best kept secrets. And not because no one knows about him but because the man only ever reveals himself through the creatures he creates in pursuit of his art.

Justin’s work focuses on creating urban Mythologies. These stories are inspired by his interests in ecology, decay, consumption, human & animal relationships, masquerade, glitter and dance music amongst many other things! Drawing from the universal lineage of mythical creatures: dragons, chimeras, vampire demons, serpents, monkey gods and others manifest in endless profusion, Shoulder creates his own ‘fantastic creatures’. Using costume and its transformative powers Shoulder tells the creature’s stories through live performance. And some of these said stories and mythologies will be at Performance Space at Carriageworks this coming month of July.

During July, Performance Space is showing-off the best new performance work from across Australia including Justin’s dazzling spectacle The River Eats. The River Eats charts the journey of Pinky – an over-caffeinated, attention-deficient demon whose identity is undergoing a fantastic metamorphosis. As Pinky’s haunted psyche unravels, we are dragged into a turbulent techno world of mirrors and estrangement. Based on the Taoist notion that every independent entity possesses an inherent opposite, this is an evolutionary tale of instinct navigating a world of material distraction.

Justin will be performing at Carriageworks Performance Space from July 3-13. Tickets for the event are available on the Performance Space’s website.